Snap lock for a container with hinged lid



Feb. 25, 1969 rrz 7 3,429,604

SNAP LOOK FOR A CONTAINER WITH HINGE!) LID Filed April 20, 1967lnven/or:

Geezer REn-aeL Hum QMATL AJ United States Patent D 52,014 US. or. 29217s 5 Claims Int. 01. E05c 1/10 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The inventionrelates to a snap lock for a container with a spring loaded lid hingedthereto. The snap lock comprises a concealed catch mechanism and aprotruding grip. It locks itself when the lid is pressed against thecontainer body and it is released by displacing the grip in either oneof two opposite directions.

The invention relates to a container with a lid hinged thereto springbiased to move the lid from a closed position into an open position, andmore particularly, to a container with a spring loaded lid which is heldin its closed position by a snap lock.

Containers with a snap lock according to the invention are useful forvery many purposes and may take a great variety of shapes. The inventionis particularly advantageous for cigarette cases or jewel boxes.

There are already known containers with a spring loaded lid held inclosed position by a snap lock. Such containers are disclosed, forinstance, in Patent 3,165,225. This patent describes a container, thelid of which is slidable in both directions on the pintle of a hingesuch as a piano hinge against spring pressure. The lock retains the lidonly if the lid is centered in reference to the container. The lock isreleased by applying lateral pressure upon one of the narrow sides ofthe lid causing displacement thereof.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved snaplock for containers with a spring loaded lid hinged thereto, said snaplock having a grip which is externally accessible for actuation, and alocking mechanism which is concealed and so arranged that upondisplacement of the grip in either one of two directions, the lid isreleased for opening by its spring loading.

The afore-pointed-out object, feature and advantage of the invention andother objects, features and advantages which will be pointed outhereinafter, are Obtained by providing a snap lock having a slideslidable in opposite directions and mounting a catch pin. The catch pincoacts with a stationarily mounted receiver which is generally roof orwedge shaped on its side facing the catch pin and has on this side acrosswise recess. This recess is engageable with the catch pin when thelatter is in a predetermined position in reference to the receiver.Springs disposed on both sides of the displaceable slide urge the sameinto the position in which the catch pin engages the recess, therebylocking the snap lock. The snap lock is released by forcing the slideagainst the action of the respective spring into a position in which thecatch pin on the slide is out of engagement with the recess of thereceiver.

The slide is preferably mounted on a frame which is secured to the rimof the container and is open on its downwardly facing side so that theframe can be fitted upon the container rim.

ice

The slide is preferably mounted on the container rim and the receiver onthe lid.

In the accompanying drawing, a preferred embodiment of the invention isshown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the upper part of a container with a lidhinged thereto, the lid being shown in its open position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the lid inits closed position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale, seen in thedirection of the arrow III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view seen from the inside of the container inthe direction of arrow V of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view upon the front rim of the lid; and

FIG. 7 is a section taken on line VIIVII of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the figures more in detail, there is shown the upperpart of a container 1 of substantially rectangular configuration with alid 12 hinged thereto by a spring loaded hinge 11. This hinge is shownas a conventional piano hinge which biases the lid into its openposition. The container has on its rim a frame 2 which is of generallyU-shaped cross-section and is fastened to the walls of container 1 in aconventional fashion by inserting the rim of the container proper intothe open side of the frame and securing the container rim in the frame.

The frame mounts a slide 15 which will be more fully describedhereinafter, and lid 12 supports fixedly secured thereto a receiver 13which also will be more fully described hereinafter.

As is clearly shown in FIG. 2, the lid when closed is flush with theframe of the container and the slide is centered in reference to the lidand the frame.

Referring now to the slide 15 shown in detail in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, theslide comprises a guide portion 5 lengthwise slidable in frame 2. Theportion is urged by springs 6 and 7 disposed on opposite sides of theguide portion into a predetermined position, preferably centered inreference to container 1 and its frame 2. Springs 6 and 7 abut about onone end against guide portion 5 and on the other end against abutmentmembers such as U-shaped members 8 secured in frame 2. As is evident,guide portion 5 and the springs coacting therewith are concealed withinthe frame. The slide is fixedly secured or integral with a grip 3mounting a catch pin 4. This catch pin has preferably a roof shaped orwedge shaped configuration as can best be seen in FIG. 5.

Receiver 13 which, as previously explained, is fixedly mounted to thelid and more specifically in a cut-out 12a thereof, comprises a receivermember 14 which preferably also has a generally roof shaped or wedgeshaped crosssectional outline, as can best be seen in FIG. 6. The apexedge 4a of catch pin 4, and the apex edge 14a of receiver member 14 areso disposed that they face each other. The apex edge of member 14includes a crosswise recess 14b.

Assuming now that it is desired to close lid 12. To this end, the lid ispressed down by hand until receiver member 14 or more specifically itsapex edge 14a engages catch pin 4. Theoretically, edge 14a may squarelyengage apex edge 4a of pin 4, but more likely receiver member 14 willengage catch pin 4 somewhat to the left or right of the apex edge, andin any event the pin will he forced to slide along one side or the otheragainst the action of spring 6 or spring 7 when the closing pressure onlid 12 is increased.

Assuming that catch pin 4 slides along one of the sides of receivermember 14, guide portion 5 will be pressed sidewise against the actionof the respective spring 6 until finally recess 14b is in alignment withcatch pin 4. The

compressed spring 6 will now snap the guide portion toward its centerposition. As a result, catch pin 4 is retained in the recess of thereceiver member. The lid is now locked to the container.

In this connection, it should be pointed out that catch pin 4 need notbe triangular as shown, but may have any configuration such that thepressure of receiver member 14 against the catch pin when the lid ispressed toward its closing position causes displacement of guide portion5 and thus movement of the catch pin into a position in which it canenter recess 14b. For instance, a round or oval pin would be suitablefor the purpose.

To release the slide, grip 3 is selectively pressed toward the left orthe right as seen in FIG. 3. The corresponding displacement of guideportion 5 against the action of the respective spring 6 or 7 will causecatch pin 4 to move out of receiver recess 14b, thereby releasing thesnap lock for opening of the lid by hinge 11.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to acertain new preferred example and embodiment of the invention, it willbe understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding theinvention, that various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it isintended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in theappended claims.

-I claim:

1. A snap lock for a container with a hinged lid spring biased to swingthe lid from a closed position to an open position, said snap lockcomprising in combination:

(a) a slide slidably mounted on a rim portion of the container outwardlyprotruding therefrom, said side being slidable parallel to the rimportion in either direction;

(b) spring means acting upon opposite sides of said slide to bias thesame into a predetermined midposition in reference to said rim portion;

(c) a catch pin protruding from said slide;

((1) a receiver for said catch pin fixedly secured to the lid of thecontainer, said receiver having a generally tapered cross-section, thetapered edge of the receiver facing said catch pin in substantialalignment therewith when the slide is in its midposition and including arecess extending parallel to the displacement direction of the slide andthe catch pin protruding therefrom, pressing of the lid toward itsclosed position causing engagement of the pin with either slanted sideof the receiver;

(e) whereby the slide is displaced out of the midposi- I tion and thepin is displaced into a position of alignment with said recess of thereceiver, the action of the respective spring means moving the pin intoengagement with the recess and the lid into the midposition thus lockingthe lid, displacement of the slide out of the midportion in eitherdirection withdrawing the pin from the recess to release the pin foropening of the lid by the action of the spring bias of the lid.

2. A snap lock according to claim 1 wherein said receiver is in the formof a pin having a substantial triangular cross-sectional configuration,the apex edge of said pin including said recess crosswise thereto.

3. A snap lock according to claim 1 wherein said catch pin has across-sectional configuration defining an apex facing the tapered edgeof the receiver.

4. A snap lock according to claim 3 wherein said catch pin has asubstantially triangular cross-section, the apex edge of the pin beingdirected toward the edge of said receiver.

5. A snap lock according to claim 1 and comprising a channeled frameattachable upon the rim portion of the container, and wherein said slidecomprises a guide portion lengthwise slidable in said frame concealed bythe same and a grip portion disposed juxtaposed to the outside of theside branch of the frame and joined to said guide portion, said catchpin protruding from said grip portion and said spring means beingdisposed in said frame on opposite sides of said guide portion coactingwith the same to bias the guide portion and thus the catch pin into saidpredetermined midposition in reference to the receiver.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,775,332 9/1930 Traumuller292-175 2,043,926 6/1936 Fuerst 292-175 2,146,140 2/ 1939 Hannings 2202,878,389 3/1959 Raifman 292- X MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

J. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner.

